Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


             NATO Discusses Leaving Troops in Afghanistan Past 2014

   U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says officials have discussed
   leaving a force consisting of American and NATO troops in Afghanistan
   after 2014.
   Panetta said a "range of options" on the post-2014 troop presence in
   Afghanistan were considered Friday at a NATO meeting in Brussels.
   Pentagon spokesman George Little said NATO officials talked about
   leaving 8,000 to 12,000 troops after 2014. He added that U.S. President
   Barack Obama has not made a decision about the size of the post-2014
   U.S. troop level.
   The alliance is scheduled to transfer control of security to Afghan
   forces in 2014.
   Earlier Friday, German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Panetta
   announced in Brussels the U.S. alone would leave 8,000 to 12,000 troops
   in Afghanistan after 2014.
   Little later said that range was discussed as the size of the overall
   post-2014 NATO mission -- not just the U.S. contribution.
   In his recent State of the Union speech, Mr. Obama announced that about
   half of the U.S. forces serving in Afghanistan -- roughly 34,000 --
   will be home within a year. At its peak, the U.S. had about 100,000
   troops in Afghanistan.
   ###
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/nato-discusses-leaving-troops-in-afgh
   anistan-past-2014/1608970.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/nato-discusses-leaving-troops-in-afghanistan-past-2014/1608970.html